


He Needeth No Name, Only His Story

by NavigationByAtlas



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Emotions, Gwom - Freeform, Hurt/Comfort, Max (Camp Camp) Has Superpowers, Minor Character Death, RIP, Sort Of, dadvid, gwenmom, haha yeet, im winging this mostly, my first camp camp fic, runaways - Freeform, some asshole gets rekt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-08
Updated: 2019-03-05
Packaged: 2019-05-19 14:01:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14875106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NavigationByAtlas/pseuds/NavigationByAtlas
Summary: He’s pushed him too far.Max wasn’t exactly known for his composure. He had a temper, an attitude, he always wore a glare. But he had never been like this.





	1. First

Max woke with a groan. Something pressed sharply into his back and he rolled to the side to be greeted with the sound of crunching leaves and snapping twigs. Max pried his eyes open, alarmed but groggy and slow. When he finally pushed himself up, the boy was sitting in the forest, a wide ring of charred plant matter around him.

_Again?_

The small boy forced himself to his feet. The sky was just lightening at the prospect of dawn. With any luck, Max would be able to get back to camp before anyone realized he’d ever been gone. Brushing off the forest debris as best he could, Max scampered off in the direction he’d gone plenty of times before.

When he made it back to his tent, clothes shaken free of dirt and plant matter, the sun was just rising. He crawled as soundlessly as the creaky cot would allow into his bed and faced away from Neil's. No sooner had he nestled into his flimsy blanket did he hear the shrill, ever-excited voice of David.

“Gooood morning, campers!” He hollered, the unwavering cheeriness that Max had yet to diminish present in full force. “Today, we have quite an exciting activity planned! So, I want everyone bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Rise and shine, campers!”

Max groaned again. At least he’d managed to sleep, he supposed. Or remain unconscious while he did God-knows-what in the woods. Maybe he should look into figuring out what that is. In the meantime, he rolled out of bed just as Neil was rubbing his sleep-filled eyes. If he didn’t get to the mess hall soon, Gwen will have drained all the coffee. Max had a feeling he’d be needing some today.

 

Max had managed to put away three mugs of coffee before David burst into the mess hall with a giddiness that was far beyond childlike. He seemed to vibrate in place, just waiting for someone to ask what was on his mind. It was infuriating to watch.

“What the fuck is up with you, you ridiculous man-child?” Max prompted. It did the trick.

“Why, Max! I am sure glad you asked. Now that you’re all up and at ‘em, I’m happy to announce our activity for the day! We’ll be going on a hike.” At the disappointed groans of the collective kids, David tsked. “Now, now, kids, it’s not just any old hike! Today, we’ll be searching for anything unusual or unique. Our goal is to find something about nature that we never noticed before. So, as we hike, I want each of you to find three things about the forest you hadn’t noticed before. Hurry up and get ready, we’re leaving in thirty minutes!”

Max regretted asking.

 

The group was headed by the enthusiastic David and tailed, both of which the former’s opposite, by Max and Gwen. Gwen made no sound beside her heavy breathing. The group was nearing its destination - the top of a hill that David swears up and down is the best place in the world to make new discoveries.

The closer to the top they got, the warier Max became. He hadn’t been sure at the start, but as the mass of them closed in, Max began to recognize the area even in the daylight. Not five minutes from there was the clearing where Max had woken just that morning.

How would he explain it if someone saw? What would happen if people started asking questions, digging around? No, Max couldn’t let that happen. He needed a distraction. Without dwelling too much on it, he shoved the unwitting Gwen to the side and send her tumbling down the side of the hill.

“David!” He called. “We need to go back! I think Gwen’s hurt.” That did the trick. David made his way through the crowd of antsy children in record time.

“What happened? Where is she?” Panicked David. Max gestured down the hill. As if on queue, a shout was heard through the trees. Gwen was sure she’d sprained her ankle at least.

“Max, I want you to take the rest of the campers back to camp,” he said, already on his way down the hill. “I’ll catch up with Gwen soon.”

“Why me? I’m literally the least trustworthy person here.”

“Now, that’s not true, Max! You’re plenty trustworthy,” David replied, though he didn’t sound so convinced. With that, He disappeared into the woods to retrieve the fallen counselor.

 

Max, despite his arguments, led the rest of the campers back down the hill without issue. The real problem took place once they got there.

A crisp, white, retro-looking car pulled up beside the main building of the camp. From it emerged a cheery-looking man, dressed as precisely as his vehicle. He straightened his attire and pushed his expensive-looking sunglasses up on his head. His eyes swept the grounds, taking in each tree, stump, and patch of dirt until finally, it landed on the group of kids with Max at the head.

“Hello, little boy,” he began in a gruff voice, bending at the waist to speak with him. “Is there an adult around?” Max examined the man for a moment before answering. His suit was tailored to his round body which reminded him of his father who always seemed to have just “one more beer”. His face was a shade of pink that made Max want to punch him and his breath smelled like high-quality cigars; the sort his mother would bring home for his dad whenever she had news he wouldn’t like.

“He’s not around right now. I can take a message though, and you can come back never,” said Max, meeting the old man’s gaze lazily. He feigned checking his nails for grime, eyeing the man sideways. “How’s that sound?”

The man chuckled. “Rather rude, actually. Are you always so impolite, boy?”

“Only when talking to people who annoy me,” Max quipped back. Behind him, Space Kid piped up to inform that Max is indeed always this rude. The man nodded.

“I presume whoever’s in charge is inside?” The man said. Max scoffed.

“He’s right in front of you, actually,” he said, holding out his hand for the man to shake. “The name’s Max. Who are you?”

“Frederic Mason,” he responded, taking Max’s hand. “Call me Fred.”

Having learned the strange man’s identity, the children quickly lost interest and made their way back to their usual activities. Neil tugged Nikki away at the dismissive gesture of Max, leaving the two alone.

“What’re you here for, Fred? This place is a shithole at best.” Fred chortled.

“Exactly. I’m here to buy this chunk of land and make it into a not-so-shitty hole. An inn, perhaps. A tourist trap,” Fred explained, gesturing at the forest around them. “There’s a volcano not far from here and some great views and hiking trails after all these years as a summer camp.”

“So you’re gonna turn a profit by buying up this god-awful place and conning ignorant tourists into paying too much money to see it? Damn, how do I get in on that?” Max half-joked. “The thing is, Fred, I’ve despised this place for years. I’d be all too happy to let you flip it inside out into some money-making machine to feed capitalism-” Fred smiled, opening his mouth to settle the deal.  “-But I can’t let you rip it down.”

“What?” Fred fumbled for a response. “You just said you didn’t care!”

“Oh, I don’t. I couldn’t care less about this place. But, see, this half-assed camp does something for me, and I’m just not ready to give that up. You understand.” Fred’s pink face grew pinker.

“I don’t know what game you’re playing at, boy, but-”

“Listen, fatass,” Max interrupted. “I don’t particularly care who you are of what you want. I’m not letting you take this place.” Fred’s pinker face became red with rage.

“Now you listen, boy!” Shouted Fred, raising a hand as if to strike the small boy, “I’m tired of your games! I demand to speak to whoever is in charge!”

At that moment, David came down the path, supporting Gwen as they went. He paused to take in the scene of the burly man with his hand raised at the small camper and went cross. He set Gwen down, politely asking her to stay put, and marched up to Frederic.

“What is going on here, sir?” David asked, sounding no less polite even in his anger.

“This boy,” spat Fred, “has been making a fool of me!” Max snorted. _He didn’t need_ my _help to be a fool,_ he thought, and he was sure David could hear it because the counselor fixed him with a _look_.

“Now, sir, I hardly think that is any reason to raise your hand to a child!” The man, in his temper at having been so thoroughly insulted by a child, raised his hand to David instead. The smaller man yelped as Fred’s hand came down. He struck David soundly on the face. David stumbled back and slipped, landing hard on his ass. He clutched his reddened face and worked his jaw. Fred stalked up to him again, taking him by the collar and hoisting him into the air.

“I will do as I like! I’ll _take_ this property, _build_ my factory, and throw _each one of you_ to the _gutters!_ ” He shook David as he spoke, punctuating his words by it. Over Fred’s shoulder, Max was livid.  
“Hey, _asswipe!_ ” Shouted the ten-year-old, effectively catching said asswipe’s attention. Fred turned slightly, a glare and sharp words ready to assault the child with. “Put him the _fuck_ down!” Fred dropped David (who rubbed his cheek and held his throbbing head) roughly back onto the dirt and turned to face Max fully.

Max took slow, purposeful steps toward Fred. Electricity crackled about him, arching off his small body. The static webbed between his fingers and curls of his hair. Max’s stance was dangerous and the energy surrounding him made it seem as though there was a storm even though glancing up would prove the skies to be sunny still.

Fred’s jaw dropped, along with those of both counselors and each camper, all of whom had come to see the commotion. Max closed in on Fred, who cowered away from the frightening boy, stuttering and babbling apologies and excuses.

“ _Who do you think you are?_ ” Demanded Max. “You think you can come in here and take the _one place_ I’ve ever had a home and turn it into a _factory?_ And not just that, _oh no!_ Then, you _lie_ about it and _attack_ the first person to ever _care about me!_ ” David wasn’t sure what about the situation or which part of Max’s speech was most appalling.

“What kind of _sick, twisted bastard_ does that to a kid?” Tears ran down Max’s face but he was no less intimidating. Glowing electricity still surrounded him and the more he spoke, the more his… eyes seemed to glow with it. 

 _What is this?_ David wondered. _He’s pushed him too far._ Max wasn’t exactly known for his composure. He had a temper, an attitude, he always wore a glare. But he had never been like _this_.

Before anyone could realize it, Max had leaped on the man, who thrashed wildly to rid himself of the boy and yelped at the shock he was getting. Max steered the man around, scratching and beating him as he did, and ultimately dragged him away from everyone else, whether he realized it or not. Fred finally managed to dislodge him and Max landed at his feet. The man panted, spent, and doubled over to catch his breath.

From the ground at his side, Max screamed. His screech echoed among the trees and Fred fell to his knees, clutching his ears. The electricity buzzing around Max grew denser and brighter until, with a loud _ZAP!_ It exploded around him. Fred slumped to the earth, his hands slipping from his head to expose that his ears had bled. Max huffed on the ground, sprawled on his back. Aside from a few scratches and some dirt, the ordeal seemed to have left him uninjured.

His heavy breaths became sobs and he curled into himself beside the dead man. David stood shakily and pushed himself forward, falling to his knees beside the child. Limping badly, Gwen herded the other campers inside, attempting in vain to hush their whispers. David hovered beside Max, his arms open as though to embrace him. He hesitated, however, and so sat that way for a few moments. When Max sniffled and curled into a tighter ball, David made up his mind. _Consequences be darned,_ he thought. This child who he cared so deeply for was _hurt_. He scooped Max into a hug.

At first, the boy gasped and stiffened, opening his eyes just enough to make out David’s yellow scarf and green shirt. Max paused, but after a moment gripped the man tighter and sobbed and wailed into David’s chest unhindered. He and David sat beside the body of the rude Mr. Frederic Mason and Max cried for the first time in what felt like decades.


	2. Second

David wasn’t sure how long he sat huddled with Max. Long enough for Gwen to hobble away with everyone else. Long enough for one or two of the kids to creep back. Neil and Nikki, of course. They hovered uncertainly around the scene, unwilling to interrupt the moment but concerned for their friend. After a few minutes, David spoke.

“He’s asleep now.” The man refused to look up, his forest eyes trained on the body beside them. “What am I going to do?” 

“Um,” began Neil. “Call the police?” David shook his head. 

“I know I should, but…” His voice was a whisper, either not to disturb Max or because he couldn't muster anything louder. “What would happen to him?” David sniffled. 

“What do you mean?” Asked Nikki.

“Haven’t you ever seen a science fiction film? They’d take him away, poke and prod at him, do crazy experiments like we saw at the mansion! We’d never see him again!” 

At Neil’s panicked volume, Max sturred and David held him tighter, as though to protect him from Neil’s words. 

“Someone will notice that Fred guy is missing, though,” Nikki pointed out. “What then?” David stood, Max cradled in his arms. His face was tear-soaked and snot threatened to drip from his nose. 

“We have to leave.” His decision was absolute. His face held nothing but grief and fear and determination that was so strong, neither child so much as opened their mouth to dispute it. David nodded to himself upon hearing no argument and turned towards the counselors’ cabin, carrying Max with him.

Nikki took in a shaky breath. “I guess we’ll never see him again, anyway.”

 

When Max awoke, he was in a bed far more comfortable than his cot. He rolled over and found more space. He refused to open his eyes, for when he did, he’d have to get up. Instead, he stretched out as much as his small body allowed and was pleased to find that he still did not meet the edge of the soft, warm bed. He heard a door creak and only then did he open his eyes. 

Max sat up as fast as the tangle of sheets allowed, shuffling to the edge of the bed farthest from the door. At last, he seemed to realize that it was only Gwen there and relaxed a small bit. In one hand was a glass of water and in the other was a plate of food. She hip-checked the door open and set the plate and glass on the coffee table beside the bed. Finally, she sat on the opposite edge as Max, wary of the boy. 

“Hey, kid,” she muttered, struggling to meet his wild eyes lest she is hit full force with the fear she saw in them. Fear of  _ her. _

“Hi,” he said. Neither of them spoke for a time. Gwen glanced uneasily at Max every so often, but her back was to him and her shoulders were hunched. Max clutched the blankets as though they would protect him from the world, still tense and afraid at the far corner of the bed. When the silence was finally broken, it was Max who spoke.

“So… How’s your ankle?” His voice was uneven and quiet, fragile. 

“It’ll be okay.” 

“Um, good.” Another pause. 

“Why’d you push me?” She glanced at him again. 

“I-I, uh, well,” he paused to order his thoughts. “I had to keep it a secret.” 

“The electricity thing?” She prompted. 

“Yeah. That, There’s this spot in the woods I wake up in every few days and I… I didn’t want anyone to see it.” Gwen nodded, unsure of how to process what she’d just been told. Max was waking up in the forest? He didn’t seem to know how or why, either. At least he had the good sense to keep it to himself, she supposed. She still wished he’d have told her something. 

“Well, next time, push David instead,” she said in a tentative attempt to lighten the heavy mood. Max scoffed a small laugh.  _ It’s better than nothing. _

In the tumult that followed Max’s scene, Gwen had had her hands full with her injury (it was only a sprain) and trying to pacify the campers. Each one had a different idea of what had taken place and how to respond and Gwen was up to her ears in trying to keep the peace. She hardly had the energy to shout them down. 

“Where… Where  _ is _ David?” Max asked. 

“He’s, ah, he’s getting ready,” she said. “He didn’t tell me what for, just to come check on you.” Max nodded. He seemed to hesitate.

“Gwen?” 

“Yeah?” She responded. When Max didn’t continue, she twisted around to face him. She finally met his tearful eyes and found… exactly what she expected- fear. But….

“Do you hate me now?” But not fear of her. Gwen turned fully, climbing up onto the bed and scooting closer.

“No,  _ no, _ Max, I don’t hate you! Why would I hate you?” Max hiccuped and Gwen gathered him in her arms. 

“Be-cause I push-shed you-u,” he sobbed, clinging to her shirt. “I pushed you an-and I’m a fre-eak! I’m so me-ean to all of you and I-” he broke off, collapsing into wails and sobs. Gwen shushed him gently, tracing patterns on his back his her fingers.

At the sight of the brash and headstrong child so worn down broke Gwen’s heart. As much as she detested Max for his antics, she was fond of him. Even though he pushed her to her limit and she had lost her temper at him on more than one occasion, she knew he was still a child. Max is still young and, though he would deny it until the end of time, he needs to be loved and cared for.  _ What happened to make him think otherwise? _

She knew, of course, that it had to be his parents. He lacked something, some emotional part of himself, a part he should’ve gotten from his mother and father. Why didn’t he? Was it the parents’ fault? Were they simply neglectful of him? Or… Were they scared of him?

It made sense, suddenly, why Max was so terrified of Gwen hating him. He was afraid he’d scare her off, that she’d call him  _ a freak. Those damn bastards! How could they call themselves parents? How could they treat him so horribly? _

“Gwen?” Mumbled Max, tucked away in her lap. “‘M sorry.” He sniffled and his tiny hand wiped his damp face. “For being so awful.” Gwen shushed him again. 

“It’s okay, Max. It’s not your fault.” The boy didn’t seem to believe her, but he accepted her answer all the same. 

“Okay.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, this got some much more feedback than I expected! I only put this up yesterday and already there are 3 comments. That may not seem like much, but it is to me! I'm really glad you're enjoying the story. Here's part two! I just can't stop writing this, it's so addicting, guys. Thank you so much!   
> Give me some sugar, y'all. Drop a comment and tell me what you think or leave some kudos. I promise comments are the #1 way to motivate me to crank out more chapters. Thanks for reading!


	3. Third

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you'd like to know, I was listening to Trojans by Atlas Genius on repeat while writing this song.
> 
> Edit: I found another song to go with this chapter-  
> Goodbye to a World by Porter Robinson.

Max sniffled as he scooped another spoonful of whatever-the-hell into his mouth. Emotions were still high, but he considered it a small mercy that Gwen didn’t hate him. That at least _someone_ didn’t. Max still wasn’t sure about David.

He sniffed again and frowned. He’d spent more time crying in the last day alone than- hold on. Had it even been only a _day_? He didn’t remember falling asleep,

“Hey, uh, Gwen?” He glanced over his shoulder at her. She hummed to acknowledge him. “How long ago was…” He trailed off. Gwen looked up properly then.

“It’s been... Let’s see, you woke up about two hours ago, it’s about noon now, so it’s been maybe twenty hours? You slept for most of that. I imagine all of that, um, _exploding_ took a lot out of you.” Max nodded and thanked her quietly, returning to his meal. Now that she said it, he did feel pretty exhausted. He ate a little faster.

 

If Max had to guess, it was about two when David returned. Gwen left the room when she heard the door to the cabin open, shutting the bedroom door behind her. Max flopped back onto the wide bed, tossing and turning and sighing. He could hear Gwen and David speaking in the main room, but their words were lost to him. Even so, he was sure the topic of their conversation was himself.

Rolling off the bed, Max padded quietly to the door, careful of the creaky floorboards and the smallest bit thankful for his scrawny build. He pressed his ear to the door, brushing his curls away so there was nothing between him and the secret conversation but an inch and a half of musty wood. He scowled. He could just barely make out bits and pieces of what they said.

“- can do, David! We have to…… the police…. -hat now?” _The police?_ Was Gwen gonna snitch? No, she wouldn’t. _Would she?_

“-ou know why. He’s- …… -fied. What else can I do? I have to…… him.” Max thought he heard Gwen sigh, perhaps in resignation to whatever David was planning. The more he heard the more scared he became. Were Gwen and David going to turn him in? Would they take him away and murder him? Execute him to protect themselves? Was Gwen lying when she said she didn’t hate him?

A knock sounded at the door and Max scrambled to look like he hadn’t been listening. It shouldn’t have worked, but Gwen and David were so preoccupied with their worries, they didn’t seem to notice. The counselors shared a few glances and gestures before it was finally decided that David would speak.

“Max.” The lanky man had to pause and suck in a breath. He held it for a moment. “It isn’t safe here for you anymore,” he said. Max nodded slowly; he knew that. Of course, it wasn’t safe! Max wasn’t safe, and not just because his secret was out. Max himself was unsafe, he knew. He knew that David knew it, too.

“That’s why I’ve decided to take you away.” Max froze.

“Take… take me away?”

“Only if you’re willing,” David rushed to clarify. “I looked up that man -- Fred? -- and if he’s important enough to have a factory line then someone will notice he’s gone and it’s unlikely that no one knows where to. Someone’s bound to come looking eventually if nobody notices the scene before that.”

“You’re… surprisingly composed,” said Max, very much on edge by how unbothered the counselor seemed to be.

“I’m… I think I just haven’t really… processed yet. I am using this spell of relative clear-headedness as best I can.” David nodded as if satisfied by his answer.

“So… you want to run away from the police with me so that I don’t get convicted of murder?”

“Well, as Neil so eloquently put it, it’s more to avoid the poking and prodding and awful experiments. You’re in real danger now, Max. Do you realize that?”

“I… Yeah. I do. So, where would we go?” David and Gwen both seemed to perk a bit.

“You’re really considering it?” Gwen asked.

“If you have a good enough plan,” said Max.

“Well, I don’t have much of one yet,” David admitted. “I’d be taking you to my cabin, north of here. I have a good accumulation of savings and it’s easy enough to make money online. I might have to disconnect after a while. I’d probably end up selling the cabin after about six months of that. From there, I’d have enough money to get us tickets to somewhere.

“Before that, though, we need to pack up necessities. I’ve got a bag of my things and two more of everything we’d need to stay afloat for a little bit. Max,” he said and handed Max a duffel bag. “I want you to get all of your things together- anything you want to take with you. If we get the chance to go to your house and get anything else, it won’t be for a while, so make sure you get everything you can. And…” David choked up a bit. “And say any goodbyes you need to. We’re leaving at dark, okay?”

Max nodded and David returned the gesture before turning and leaving the room, perhaps to load the car or check his luggage. When he had left, Max turned to Gwen to find her already staring at him with watery eyes.

“Woah, Gwen, what’s the matter with you?”

“Sorry, I just,” she sniffled. “I’m scared, Max. I’m terrified that you won’t be okay and I’m devastated that you have to run from the world. I just wish… I wish you could have more, you know?” He didn’t know - he never had - but he nodded anyway.

“As weird as it is, I’ll… miss you, Gwen. Maybe all that electricity fried my brain.” Gwen chuckled half-heartedly.

“I’ll miss you too, you little shit,” she said, though her voice was thick with fondness.

 

Max had spent the next hour gathering everything he owned and shoving whatever else he found that he might want or need in the large duffel bag David had given him. He still had a good amount of space.

“Maybe you could fit us inside and we could come with you,” said Nikki, doing her best to sound cheerful. The air was heavy, though. Max didn't need to tell her it wouldn’t happen.

“I’m sorry this all happened, guys,” he said instead and the other two children paused. Max didn’t apologize often. He almost never displayed any emotion outside of varying levels of annoyance and here he was, bearing his soul with a simple sentence. Nikki was crying before she realized why.

“We’re gonna miss you, Max,” she said between sobs. She lunged forward to hug him and he let her, even supplying an awkward pat or two to her back.

“Yeah. I’ll miss you, too.”

 

It was nearly nightfall. All of Max’s things were packed and his farewells delivered. All that was left to do was _go_. He and David were stood beside the car, both casting one last, sorrowful look at the place they were never to return to. He sucked in a deep breath.

“One more thing, David. I’ll be right back.”

Max pushed open the door to the counselors’ cabin. Gwen sat in the office chair, spinning idly. When she noticed Max’s entry, she scarcely glanced up.

“Max. Are you leaving now?” She asked though they both knew the answer.

“Yeah. I was hoping to get one more thing before I left though.” Gwen looked up at him, ceasing her spinning.

“What’s that?”

“You know that picture we took a while back, on the summer solstice?” Gwen smiled.

“I think I have a copy laying around somewhere. I’ll be right back.”

She returned a few minutes later, a small slip of paper in hand. Every camper was in the picture, flanked by the two camp counselors. Max stood to the side, near the front. He had a scowl on his cafe, just like usual. On either side of him were Nikki and Neil, the former grinning widely while the latter simply looked uncomfortable. Max smiled ever so slightly. He’d never admit it, but he was honestly happy on that day. He sniffed.

“Thanks, Gwen,” he said. She smiled at him and understood.

“No problem, kid.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise this daily update schedule will not hold up. Sorry. :(  
> Once school lets out, it'll be a little harder to access a computer to write on, so I'm doing what I can to write and post chapters while I can. Thank you for your support!


	4. Fourth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's song is Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol

Max had fallen asleep about an hour into the car ride. David couldn’t fathom how he managed to sleep at all after spending so long unconscious, but he was glad for it. Mostly. He focused all of his attention on the poorly-lit road, willing his mind away from the days events. From what he was doing. Was this kidnapping? Max had agreed, yes, but the law wouldn’t see that. Oh, God, he was _kidnapping Max!_ David shook his head and refocused on the road.

He drove in silence, unwilling to break the quiet with any kind of sound. He felt frozen, on autopilot, as though he wasn’t really in control of his body. The thought should be terrifying, but David’s foggy mind couldn’t care. He drove on.

 

Max woke only once or twice for the duration of their trip. He woke once at nearly four A.M. to relieve himself and then again at about seven to eat breakfast. He was sleeping again now and had been for some time. David wondered just how much energy he'd used.  _I’ll have to be careful if he ever does something like that again._

Max stirred finally as they came upon the long dirt road which led to David’s cabin. It was nearly midday. Max grumbled and rubbed at his eyes, yawning.

“David?”

“I’m right here.”

“Where are we?” Max blinked at his bright surroundings. There were plenty of trees, of course, but Max got the distinct feeling that they weren’t anywhere near Camp Campbell.

“We’re almost at my cabin. We’ll be there in just a few minutes,” he said through a yawn. Max’s brow creased.

“How long have you been driving?” David thought for a moment.

“Sixteen hours? I don’t really know. My butt’s pretty numb, though.” Max huffed a small laugh.

“So, what’s your cabin like anyways? It sounds kinda murder-ey.”

“Murder-ey?”

“Yeah.  Cabin in the woods? Nobody knows where we are, we’re running from the government, what else do you need?”

“Thank you for that, Max. But, no. I assure you my cabin is not murder-ey. It’s two stories, three bedrooms, and well-kept. I think you’ll like it!” Max opened his mouth to assure him that, no, he wouldn’t love it, but David beamed and Max almost didn’t notice the exhaustion on the man’s face.

“Yeah. I’m sure I will.”

 

Gwen felt numb. With David and Max on their way, she had time now to sit and process what had taken place over the last few days. Her sleep had been restless, so she gave up at some early hour before even the sun was awake. She sat in the spinning office chair. The television was playing some drama show that she would normally have been glued to, but now, it might as well have been static.

As much as she willed herself to think about what had happened, Gwen’s mind remained blank. She stared at the wall past the television, her mind stubbornly refusing not to work how she wanted. As she forced herself to recall, the events felt fuzzy. Her mind’s eye lacked detail, though she could remember each feeling she had felt in stunning HD.

Max was gone. That much she needn’t try to remember because it seemed she couldn’t forget. She glanced out the window towards the tents. She would need to wake the campers soon. She would need to explain what had happened and why Max and David had left. What would she say?

The two had up and left with no regard for what the aftermath may be. Gwen tried to blame them, to be angry, but she couldn’t. She could hardly feel anything, but she knew with such conviction that this wasn’t their fault, that she couldn’t even resent them. It would be so much easier to move on of she could just resent them.

With a sigh, Gwen dragged herself out of the chair. Her clothes were rumpled; she hadn’t changed them since yesterday. Her ankle throbbed under the brace. She hadn’t been treating it, too preoccupied with the situation she’d found herself in. God, what happened when Max’s parents came to pick him up? She’d have to tell them something!

But not yet. Now, she only had to worry about the group of kids. She hobbled to the tents, mustering every ounce of energy she could find to shout a wake-up call. She limped back to the mess hall, asking Quartermaster for a coffee in a small whisper. He slid her the mug, mumbling something unintelligible. Gwen nodded at him in thanks and he nodded back. She didn’t bother trying to understand why, only found her way to a table in the far corner as campers began to file in, one by one. It was time to figure this out.

 

Max followed David through the door of the cabin hesitantly. David was prattling on about the house, explaining the layout and such. Max tuned most of it out, glancing around the living room. It was… homey. It felt like a house should- safe and warm and loving. Max can’t remember the last time he’d felt that in his own home.

“-ick your room, Max!”

“Huh?” Max’s attention snapped to David at the mention of his name. The man chuckled.

“I said: how about you go pick your room?” David smiled as kindly as ever, but Max could see the emotions swirling in his green eyes. He nodded.

“Um, sure. Can you show me which ones?” David nodded eagerly, clasping his hands together. He gestured at Max to follow him up the stairs.

 

Max had decided on the bedroom furthest from Davids. There was one empty room between them and Max’s room was right across the hall from the bathroom and next to the stairs. He dropped his duffel bag to the floor. David was rambling about the air mattress in the basement and how it would have to do until he got Max a proper bed. Max nodded along, but he wasn’t listening.

He gazed around the room, taking in each wall, the closet in the far corner, the window that let in the sunlight that filtered through the trees. With a start, he realized that he’d never felt more at home somewhere, except maybe Camp Campbell. His breath stuttered and he felt tears well in his eyes again.

“Max? What’s wrong? If you don’t like this room, we can-”

He cut David off. “I love it.” Max sniffed, rubbing at his eyes before turning to face David. “It’s perfect.”

David stared at him for a moment, face painted with surprise. Finally, his expression melted into a gentle smile. He patted Max’s head and the boy didn’t bother swatting his hand away this time.

“I’m glad.” David cleared his throat. “Come on. Let’s go see what we can find in the basement to fill it with.”

Max trailed behind David, following him down to the cement basement. The two searched through the dust and cobwebs and David shrieked at every spider. Max laughed at him, the smile feeling more genuine each time. _I think… I think this is where I want to stay,_ he decided. _I think this is home._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehehe aha ha yes what wholesome feels. I hope it lasts, Max. ;3
> 
> Also, I've been adding songs to chapters, as you may have noticed. Let me know in the comments if you'd like me to make a playlist of all the songs for this story! I'll make it on YouTube and put the link in the chapter notes for one of the next chapters.
> 
> Thanks for reading! Leave some kudos or drop a comment and let me know what you think.  
> Comments are my top motivation to write this story. It's got a 100% success rate for producing more chapters.


	5. Fifth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's song:  
> The Kill by Thirty Seconds to Mars

It had taken far less time than anticipated to talk to the children about Max and David. Most of them were air-headed enough to ignore it all, to shrug it off and go about their day. All except for Nikki and Neil.

They weren’t much of a problem, however. They understood the situation, more or less. Neil was certainly smart enough and Nikki just worried about her friend. The two had only continued pestering Gwen out of concern.

“Are you sure they’ll be okay?” Nikki asked again. Gwen sighed.

“You know I can’t give you the answer you want. What they’re doing is dangerous, kids. But it’s safer than staying.” Nikki nodded, considering the answer.

“Why didn’t you go with them?” Asked Neil. Gwen chuckled mirthlessly.

“Well, someone had to look after the rest of you, right? If we just shut down the camp, there’d be a lot of backlash and a lot of suspicious people. It’d be like a beacon to Max.” Neil accepted her answer as well, pressing his lips together. It seemed he and Nikki were searching for anything at all to ask. Luckily for Gwen, they seemed to come up dry.

The pair sighed and Nikki led the way out of the cabin, presumably to join the rest of the campers. Instead, Nikki and Neil stood by the wide area of dirt that used to be charred and dry. The Quartermaster had come by with a shovel and a broom and effectively erased the last remaining evidence of Max’s presence. Except…

“Didn’t Gwen say she still had to find something else?” Nikki gasped. Neil nodded slowly.

“Yeah, she did. Max was waking up in the woods, near that place where we were hiking that day!” Nikki grinned at her friend.

“Then it’s decided. Let's go find that place!” Nikki cheered, and the two scampered off to the woods.

 

Max was sprawled unceremoniously on the plush couch. The cushions were soft and Max sunk into them even as small as he was. David was in the kitchen, presumably cooking something, but Max didn’t hear or smell anything coming from there. He strained his ears as much as he could and managed to make out David’s voice.

_“God, what am I going to do? I can’t just take him from his whole life, but what else is there? He can’t go home, not now. Does he even want to? Did I even ask? Oh, no, I never asked. I barely even asked his consent to leave! I don’t have the money to support us on the run. I guess I could resort to crime, but, oh, who am I kidding? I’m not tough enough for that.”_

Max slipped off the couch and crept toward the kitchen.

“ _What about his abilities? What are they? It’s like he can control electricity, but it doesn’t seem like he can really_ control _it. Gwen said he’d been waking up in the woods. What does that mean? Is something summoning him there? What if it keeps happening?”_

Even as he approached, David’s voice didn’t seem to get any louder. Did the man know Max was coming closer?

_“If he keeps waking up in different places, how can I keep him safe? Or worse yet, if he wakes up in the same place over and over, anyone looking for him will know where to look. I don’t know if I can-”_

“David?” Max asked. The man jolted and looked up from the spot on the floor he’d been staring at.

“Yes, Max?” He turned to face the boy and Max fidgeted under the attention.

“Were you… talking just now? Before I came in,” Max asked, his voice low.

“No, I wasn’t,” David said, brow creasing. “Why? Did you hear something?” The man turned as if to search for any trespassers. Max reached out and grabbed his arm.

“Uh, no, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.” Max avoided David’s worried gaze. David nodded slowly, facing Max again and squatting to be level with the boy.

“You know it’s safe here, right? I won’t let anything happen to you.” Max hesitated. He strained to hear again, perhaps to hear what David really thought, but nothing happened. He heard only the quiet ticking of a clock and the twittering of birds outside.

“Yeah. Yeah, I know.”

_What the hell was that?_

 

Neil had complained the whole hike, pausing every so often to wheeze a breath or to curse at some aspect of nature. Nikki only goaded him on, dragging the boy up the hill. Once they’d gotten to the top, she turned sharply into the forest.

“It’s gotta be around here somewhere!” She announced. Neil looked apprehensive.

“Are you sure we should do this, Nikki? It doesn’t seem very… safe.” Nikki tsked.

“Come _on_ , Neil! We’re almost there. Don’t you want to know what’s happening to Max?” Neil sighed. Reluctantly, he allowed himself to be dragged along.

When they came upon the clearing, the both of them froze. It was much like the one that had been next to the camp, except… Except that the ring of char was _huge._ It spanned nearly thirty feet across. Black likes zig-zagged throughout the ring, which was bordered by a solid black line nearly a foot thick. Nikki stood at the edge, her toes barely an inch away. Neil stood a few paces back.

“Nikki,” he called, fear flooding his voice. She ignored him. “Nikki, come back. Please?” He lurched forward, gripping her sleeve. She turned just enough that Neil caught a glimpse of her face. 

Her eyes were blank and her lips parted slightly. Neil gasped, his grip loosening. She stared at him, but it was more like she stared _through_ him. She turned back around and her sleeve slipped from Neil’s fingers before he could stop it. Nikki took a step into the ring.

“ _Nikki!”_

 

Max shouted. Her name tore from his lips involuntarily as he shot up from his sleep. David jumped beside him, sleep weighing heavily on his mind. Max threw the blanket to the side and scrambled off the couch. He fell to his hands and knees on the floor.

“Max? Max, what’s wrong?” David slid off the couch, carefully approaching the boy. Max was bent over, shaking. His head hung and he breathed heavily. For a moment, David thought the poor boy might throw up. Instead, he pushed himself back slowly until he was sitting against the couch. His green eyes were wide and afraid. His jaw was slack and his brows pushed together as he stared at nothing. He turned slowly to face David, his desperate expression meeting David’s own terrified one.

“We need to go back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this sounds like just a crackfic now, but I promise there's an explanation for it, ok? I have it worked out in my head. Bear with me. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!! Leave some kudos or drop a comment and let me know what you think! This fic is comment-powered, so don't hold back. I'd love some constructive criticism!


	6. Sixth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha have fun.
> 
> This chapter's song is:  
> Oh Ana by Mother Mother
> 
> (Especially for that last part.)

“What do you mean 'we have to go back'? We just got here!” David stared down at Max with complete bewilderment. He already wasn’t looking forward to another literally butt-numbing trip.

“Exactly what I just said! Something’s wrong, I think Nikki is in trouble. We  _ have to go back. _ ”

“Max, we can’t! The whole reason we left was to keep you safe. I can’t do that if we go back to Camp Campbell,” David said. He looked at Max with so much concern that the boy had to screw his eyes shut to avoid it.

“We  _ have _ to,” he growled. “It’s bad enough I’ve  _ killed a man, _ David. I won’t let my only friends be hurt because of me.” When he could finally open his eyes again, Max knew he’d won. David was frowning, looking over Max’s shoulder. Max strained his ears, hoping to perhaps catch a bit of what the man was thinking. It was fuzzy, almost like a staticky radio station, but Max could just make it out if he focused.

“ _ Darn it, I don’t want to let anyone else get hurt. But… I promised to protect Max! Oh, golly, who am I fooling? Alright. Okay, I’ll take him. But it has to be fast.” _

Max broke into a grin. He lurched forward and wrapped his arms around David’s middle. 

“Thank you, David. It’ll be fast, I promise.” 

“Um… huh?” 

 

“You can  _ what? _ ” David yelped. Max ducked his head, pulling his hood around his neck. 

“I can… kind of read your mind? Not always. It’s only happened twice, but I’m pretty sure that’s what it is.” He peeked up at David through his hair. The man was focused dutifully on the road, but his jaw was slack and his brows knitted together. 

“When… did this start?” He asked, sparing Max a sideways glance. 

“Um, last night in the kitchen. You were thinking pretty loudly,” said Max, matter-of-factly. David sighed and ran a hand through his hair, no doubt remembering what he had been thinking that night.  _ Well, that explains the odd question. _

“Yeah, I guess it does.” 

“Can you stop doing that, maybe? Please?” Asked David. He was frowning slightly, clearly uncomfortable with Max in his head. 

“Well, I can’t control it! It’s hard to tell when you’re thinking or speaking sometimes. It sounds the same when it’s clear.”

“When it’s clear?”

“Um, yeah. Kind of like... earlier, you sounded like a wonky radio. It was all fuzzy, like static. That was hard to hear.” David frowned again. He hummed for a second, then flicked on the radio. The station was playing a podcast, an episode David had already heard. 

“Max, have you ever listened to a podcast?” Max shook his head, thoroughly confused. David nodded and, after a few moments, turned the radio off again. “Okay. Can you do something for me? I want you to focus and try to hear the station I just played. When you find it, tell me what they’re saying,” David ordered. Max nodded again. What was he thinking? Max tried to pick out David’s thoughts, but the man was working very hard to keep his mind clear. Max heard mostly fuzz. 

With a sigh, Max attempted the task David had given him. He strained his ears. It was almost like he could see color in the air, but he was hearing them instead.  _ What are these? _ He focused on one and winced when he heard heavy metal blasting in his head.  _ That’s not it. _ He sorted through a few until he finally came upon the station David had played. The podcast was still on. 

“Um, there’s this man. He’s talking about a game, I think. A board game? There are three others and they all have to roll die to do anything. One of them is a wizard, I guess? They’re fighting some magic vines.” 

When Max looked back at David, the man looked even more appalled than before. He was glancing rapidly between Max and the road, opening and closing his mouth like a fish. At last, he seemed to compose himself. He cleared his throat.

“Um, Max, I think I figured out what it is. Maybe,” he stuttered. 

“What? Why’d you have me do that?” David pursed his lips. 

“I think you’re like a radio,” David said. “Your, erm,  _ power _ is electricity, right? So maybe you’re picking up on signals and things.” 

“Okay, that explains the radio, but what about your mind?” 

“Well, thought is all just a bunch of electrical signals. The brain is like one big ball of electric connections, so maybe you’re able to pick them up and hear them in your own head.” 

“Oh,” said Max. “That is  _ weird. _ ” 

David nodded in agreement. 

 

Neil was terrified. He had tried to pick Nikki up, but sparks arced around her body and each time he touched her, he was left with a burn that looked like a spider web over his skin. He paced frantically, waving his hands around to both dispel the anxiety and the pain. It didn’t work. He knew he should go get help, maybe find Gwen or someone, but he also couldn’t leave Nikki alone, passed out, and probably electrocuted in the woods at nearly dusk. 

He’d tried shouting-- or, he almost did. Each time he opened his mouth to yell, the fear of whatever  _ else _ might hear washed over him and he snapped his jaws shut, wincing at the audible  _ click _ . He glanced around, searching for some way to help his friend. He needed to move her, but he couldn’t touch her. Did he have anything that wouldn’t be conductive? He had no rubber on his person and there was none laying around in the forest. 

_ Think, Neil! What can you use? _ He frowned. Maybe cloth would be enough? It wasn’t especially conductive, but he wasn’t sure it was the opposite, either. With a clenched jaw, he decided to try. What’s another zap or two?

The boy wormed his way slowly out of his turtleneck. He shivered at the cold air on his bare skin but ultimately ignored it. Carefully, he threaded his shirt under Nikki’s arms and around her back so that either end hooked around her shoulders. He only had a few inches on either end, but it would have to work. Satisfied for the most part that he hadn’t been shocked yet, he gripped the small makeshift handles and tugged. 

Nikki slid over the forest floor. Neil winced; no doubt she would be covered in scratches by the time they got back. He dragged her along slowly, pausing every so often to catch his breath. Once in a while, his hand would get too close to her and he’d get a small shock. He winced, but never dropped her.

It felt like hours before they made it back to camp. The sun was just dipping under the horizon and, had he been any slower, someone might have noticed the two children missing. That would’ve taken too long, though. Nikki needed help,  _ now. _

Safely back on Camp Campbell grounds, Neil shouted. He called Gwen’s name as he tugged Nikki slowly closer to the main cabin. Harrison heard him first. The boy scampered over to see what the noise was about. At the scene, his magical trinkets fell from his hands and his jaw dropped. 

“Go get Gwen!” Neil cried. “Hurry!” Harrison barely nodded before he was off, scrambling in the direction the counselor must be in. Neil dragged his friend inch by inch, desperate to help her. He grit his teeth with the effort, his thin arms and scrawny build not made for such an activity.  _ I knew we shouldn’t have gone. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I'm no expert, so if anyone has any recommendations regarding the science behind the mind reading deal, they'd be greatly appreciated. 
> 
> Also! I'll be losing my computer tomorrow morning. The school year's nearly at its end and we've got to return all the school issued things. I likely won't be posting for a while after that. However! I'll have ample planning time and once I've got computer access again-- in a week or three, it's still uncertain-- I'll be back to writing. Thanks for understanding. 
> 
> Don't be afraid to show me some love. Leave some kudos or drop a comment and let me know what you think! Your comments are my lifeblood. Digital ink flows through my veins. It's kind of sharp, actually. All those pixels...
> 
> Thanks again for reading!


	7. NOT A CHAPTER! IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!!

Hey guys! I know, I know, it's been FAR too long since I last updated this story. BUT FEAR NOT! It's not being discontinued. Not entirely, at least.

The reason for my absence on this story as of late is simply a lack of ideas. Writer's block of sorts. This isn't at all because I don't have ideas for the story or because I've lost interest in it. In fact, I've been thinking about it a lot even as I've let it lie. See, I have a habit of screwing myself over with my fanfictions by doing this little thing called NOT OUTLINING THEM. 

In short, I actually have no idea where I want this story to go! So, here's the actual news: **_I WILL BE REWRITING THIS STORY._**

My plan is to actually outline this story, work out the kinks, maybe even do some actual research to make it more realistic. As such, He Needeth No Name will be "discontinued" and remade with slight tweaks, smoothed edges, AN ACTUAL PLAN, and a new name. 

Thank you all so much for your commitment to this story and your patience as I work through my life. I hope to have the new story up soon! I'll be posting another update here when it is.

Oh, and don't worry, He Needeth No Name will be staying up, so you can always come back to it here. Thanks again!

\- Atlas


	8. REMAKE POSTED!

It's official, y'all! Chapter one of the remake of HN3 has been posted to AO3! I hope you enjoy the story a second time, hopefully with better writing than the original. I still don't have a beta reader, so please bear with me in the case of any mistakes (feel free to let me know if you feel so inclined; all I ask is that you do so politely), I'm doing my best to catch everything.

Without further adieu, here it is: the long-awaited ver. 2 of HN3,  _[Some In The Storm](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18010880/chapters/42552152)!_

**Author's Note:**

> If you like this enough, drop a comment and I'll add another chapter, about the aftermath perhaps? If it's really well-taken, maybe I'll make an actual story of it.  
> Thanks for reading!  
> Hit me with a like or drop a comment and let me know what you think. This is my first CC fic and the only one I've posted here that isn't VLD, so I'd appreciate the feedback. Thanks again!


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